Tainted Love
by SantittanyForever
Summary: When Santana and Brittany officially come out, they don't anticipate the events that unfold.
1. Together At Last

**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed my previous fanfics. It means a lot :D So guys... SANTANA AND BRITTANY ARE NOW OFFICIALLY DATING! I was so excited when I watched Pot O' Gold, I almost passed out ^^ that has made me a very happy Gleek (: so, that inspired me to write another fanfic about the most beautiful couple on tv. Warning: this fic does contain some violence, which may be upsetting, so don't hate me for it :( BUT, it gets happier and fluffy at the end :D so, without further ado, read ahead and enjoyyyy ^^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. **

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><p>Santana couldn't believe it.<p>

After all the tears, the fighting, the jealousy, the arguments, it had finally happened.

She was with Brittany.

She still shook her head in disbelief and smiled every time she thought back to that day; the day Brittany had turned up at her house, had told her that she broke up with Artie and wanted to be with her. They had hugged, but it was different from their normal hugs; this hug was filled with love, wanting, and, mostly, relief that they could finally be together, with nothing blocking their path to each other.

They had gone on to spend the whole summer together, hanging out in Brittany's room, swimming in the pool Santana's father had installed at the beginning of the year. Santana couldn't remember a time when she was happier than when she was with Brittany; they were best friends, and, more importantly than that, they were in love.

Love.

Santana remembered how afraid she was to admit it, but then how easy it was to say it once she had finally admitted it. Then, a warm glow began to form in her stomach as she thought back on how Brittany had said she loved her too. How they had gazed into each other's eyes, soul mates, together forever. Nothing could break them apart, nothing would come between them.

And Santana made sure no one gave Brittany any trouble; most of the school already knew about her reputation as the feisty Latina from Lima Heights Adjacent, who never hesitated to smack someone if they got on her bad side or said something mean about her beloved Brittany.

So, her summer spent with Brittany was a good one. She enjoyed spending time with the beautiful blonde, laughing, talking, cuddling up on the sofa watching movies. She enjoyed these cuddles more than most things, one reason being she loved feeling so close to the girl she loved, and another reason being they normally led to something more. Before Brittany, Santana had never even kissed a girl. But, now that her eyes had been opened to the experience, she just couldn't get enough. She loved having sex with Brittany, and so was even more grateful for the fact that her parents were away for half of the summer, leaving the girls to enjoy an empty house for two weeks. Santana took full advantage of this, having Brittany stay over for most of the days, resulting in two very happy but very exhausted teenage girls.

And they were happy. Santana found any moment not spent with her girlfriend was dull and boring, and whenever she saw Britt, and she gave her that warm, loving smile, the world seemed like a brighter place.

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><p>It had reached the end of summer, and in a few days they would be returning back to McKinley for their senior year. They hadn't really discussed what would happen to their relationship once they got back to school, so Brittany decided to breach the topic one evening when they were lying on her bed.<p>

"Hey, San?" she said timidly, tracing senseless shapes on Santana's thigh with her fingertips.

"Mhmm?" replied Santana, with a small smile forming on her lips as Brittany took her hand.

"I've been thinking…about…umm…well, I've been thinking about some stuff" she mumbled, becoming twitchy and slightly nervous.

"Well Britt, normally when people think, they tend to think about stuff" Santana said, giggling quietly while she sat up to face the blonde. "What's up babe? What's on your mind?"

"Nothing's on my mind San, unless you count my hat" said Brittany, sounding genuinely confused. The Latina stifled a laugh at this, and smiled reassuringly, waiting for her to continue.

"See, the thing is...I…I was just wondering…what'?"

The last part came out in a rush, due to her nerves, and Santana held up a hand to signal her confusion.

"Come again Britt?" she asked, smiling, with one eyebrow raised.

"Okay…umm…I said… I was just wondering what's going to happen with us when we go back to school?"

She then inhaled sharply and averted her eyes from Santana's gaze, afraid of how she would react. She began playing with the sleeve of her jumper, a habit Santana knew she expressed when she was nervous of worried about something.

"Britt, baby, look at me" Santana said softly, taking the blonde's hands in her own. Brittany raised her eyes to meet the brunette's, and was surprised and pleased to find she was smiling. Santana then released one of her hands, and brought her palm up to cradle Brittany's cheek. The blonde leaned into her girlfriend's hand, sighing contentedly.

"Look Britt, I know I've had some trouble with coming out and accepting who I am in the past, but I'm over that now. I love you, I'm proud to call you my girlfriend, and I don't care about what people think anymore. At the end of the day, this is between you and me; it doesn't involve anyone else. I love you Brittany, and I want the world to kn-"

The rest of her sentence was ended abruptly as Brittany leapt forward and planted her lips on Santana's.

She threw her arms around the darker girl, and Santana then melted into the kiss, loving the way their lips fit together as if they were made for each other.

When they eventually broke apart, they lay down, Brittany resting her head on Santana's chest, Santana stroking Brittany's cheek gently.

"I love you too San, don't you forget that" mumbled Brittany sleepily. Santana smiled at this, giving her lover one last gentle kiss on the lips, before they both floated off into the blissful land of darkness and dreams.


	2. Not Afraid

**Awww, we all love a bit of fluff, don't we? So, here is a cute little chapter for all you Santittany shippers out there :D enjoy ^^**

Santana awoke to the sound of her alarm clock ringing ferociously. She didn't want to move to turn it off, but she knew it would be relentless in its quest to wake her, so she rolled over with a grumble and pressed down on the button that would end the cascade of noise battering her eardrums. She then heard a quiet sigh from next to her, and turned, only to be met by the most beautiful sight she had ever woken up to.

Brittany was lying on her back, her blonde hair splayed across the pillow. She had one arm extended towards Santana, on account of the fact that they had fallen asleep holding hands. Santana was about to wake her, when the blonde began mumbling in her sleep. The Latina covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to stifle the giggles that were threatening to burst out, and sat quietly, listening to Brittany's incoherent ramblings.

"No! Lord Tubbington…don't smoke… it's bad for you… please…"

Santana smiled at this, loving her girlfriend's endearing ways. She reached out a hand to gently tap Britt to wake her up, but stopped when her own name was said by the blonde.

"Santana…mmm…that's nice…ohh, I love that…that's better than unicorns and leprechauns and gummy bears all rolled into one…mmm…"

Santana could no longer control her laughter; in exploded out of her like a ball being fired out of a canon. Brittany's eyes then shot open and she sat up abruptly, eyes wide with shock and confusion.

"What? What's going on? What was that?"

She then turned and noticed Santana lying next to her, and this sight alone calmed her down. She smiled shyly, then said:

"Morning beautiful."

Santana blushed slightly at this, and then answered with:

"You're pretty beautiful yourself."

The Latina then sat up and began pulling her clothes on.

"What are you doing San?" asked Brittany, her eyes filled with confusion.

"It's the first day back at school Britt, we can't be late." answered the brunette.

"Oh yeah! I can't believe I forgot! I need to find my first-day-back-at-school outfit!" exclaimed Brittany.

Santana giggled at her best friend's antics, and then both girls got dressed, hurriedly ate some breakfast, then jumped into Santana's car and made their way to school.

They pulled into the parking lot at McKinley, Brittany bouncing up and down on her seat with excitement.

"Oh my god, oh my god, I'm so excited! I get to see everyone in Glee club, I've missed them so much, even Rachel, and we can sing and dance together again, and it's so exciting even though I'm probably going to fail every class…"

Brittany continued to natter on while Santana found a place to park. When the car was secured in place, she reached over and took Brittany's hand. The blonde girl turned to face her, and both girls took a deep breath.

"This is it Britt. We're gonna do this. We're gonna come out as a couple to the school. You ready for this babe?" whispered Santana, her voice shaking slightly, with what Brittany thought was either fear, excitement, or most likely, a mixture of both.

The blonde nodded her head, placing a light kiss on Santana's cheek for courage. Then, both girls got out of the car and held hands. They smiled at each other, took another deep breath, and began their journey into the unchartered waters that were waiting for them just beyond those doors.

They didn't experience any trouble that first day. If anything, most of the people they encountered seemed pleased and happy for them; Brittany brought out a softer side to Santana, something that everyone was grateful for, as it meant she was less likely to lash out or hurl a string of insults at them in Spanish. Now, they could walk past her in the corridor and not have to avert their eyes. Once or twice, she even offered people a smile, but this was mainly reserved for people in Glee club. Even so, it was a breakthrough, so most people were glad her and Brittany had found each other.

Their fellow Glee club members were the least surprised out of everyone. They had suspected something was going on between the two cheerleaders, they just never knew the details.

When they had revealed the news at the start of rehearsal, Kurt had clapped and yelled:

"Hallelujah! Finally, I thought you two were never going to get together!"

This earned him a grin from Brittany, and a small smirk from Santana. The rest of the New Directions had also been happy for them; Puck in particular seemed ecstatic, which was puzzling, until he approached them that afternoon and asked if he could watch them make out, and then maybe make out with them. This had proceeded in him earning a hard punch on the arm from Santana, who narrowed her eyes and made it very clear that she and Brittany were only allowed to make out with each other; she didn't want anyone else touching something she believed to be hers.

The rest of the day went off without a hitch, and the couple walked the corridors free of fear, holding hands and cuddling whenever and wherever they felt like it.

However, they were so wrapped up in their bubble of happiness that they failed to notice the unfriendly stares being sent in their direction by one student. They failed to notice the way he watched them, his features distorted with disgust and hate. And Santana also failed to notice him following her out to her car that afternoon when the school day had finished…

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><p><strong>DUN DUN DUUUUUUN! Cliffhanger much? ;D <strong>

**Want to know what happens? Then you must wait for the next chapter my fellow Gleeks ^^ but never fear, i'm in the process of writing it now, so you won't have to wait too long for it :) until then, let me know what you think of the story so far, reviews are much appreciated! :3**


	3. Trouble In Paradise

**Warning: this chapter is a bit horrible unfrotunately :( **

Santana had her iPod on full volume, oblivious to the world around her, as she strolled towards her car.

She was deep in thought, thinking about Brittany; most of her thoughts nowadays involved the blonde.

She wasn't paying attention to anything around her, and this made the sudden impact with the hood of her car even more shocking. She was dazed, and it took a few seconds for her to realise that someone had shoved her. She turned around angrily, ready to tear into whoever it was, but her throat tightened in fear and stopped any noises being made as she realised who she was facing.

Eric Ryder.

He was new at McKinley, the latest addition to the hockey team, and he had a reputation. Rumours stated that he had been kicked out of his past three schools for being violent and aggressive. Everyone feared him, the only people who didn't were the jocks on the football team, and even then, they didn't go out of their way to get on his bad side.

Santana had managed to steer clear of him up until now, so was baffled as to why he suddenly had it in for her.

But, she decided to act brave, hoping to warn him off before something bad happened. The Latina narrowed her eyes, put on her best 'don't mess with me' face, and snarled:

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, asshole?"

Ryder laughed at this, and stepped towards the small girl slowly, menacingly. Santana took a small step back, cowering slightly under his hateful gaze. She swallowed once, then spoke again:

"I SAID, what the FUCK, do you THINK, you are DOING, ASSHOLE?"

Despite her brave front, her hands were trembling and she put one on the hood of her car to steady herself.

"Listen here princess." he snarled. "I don't like the way you've been acting lately."

Santana's eyes widened at this, and she could feel her fear turning into anger.

"And why is it any of your fucking business how I act, fat-ass?"

Eric's arm suddenly shot out, creating a barricade across Santana's neck. She yelped in surprise, and could feel her anger rapidly dissipating, the fear returning to replace it. He held her against the car, leaned forward, and spoke into her ear, talking in a tone that sent chills down the Latina's spine.

"It is my business when I have to watch your disgusting behaviour with that blonde bitch. Yeah, I heard that you two are together. Do you know how sick that makes me? And then, you dare to flaunt your sickening behaviour around here, where we all have to witness it. You're nothing but a filthy little whore."

His last words were punctuated with hate, and Santana realised that she was in danger. She attempted to squirm out of his grasp, but he was too strong. Seeing her struggle only fuelled his anger even more, and he grabbed her by the hair and flung her to the ground. She felt her face connect with the concrete floor of the parking lot, and let out a small cry of pain.

She tried to get up, to run away, away from this monster, but he then began to deliver kicks to her stomach, raining down blow after blow until she was gasping for air. He then grabbed her once more by the hair, and snarled in her ear:

"You better watch your back. You and your _girlfriend._"

He spat out the last word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. He then walked off, got into his car, and drove off down the road, leaving Santana trembling, curled into a ball next to her car.

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><p>Brittany looked around in frustration, wondering where her girlfriend was. She was waiting by her locker, where they usually met after school. But then, she remembered that they had agreed to meet by Santana's car today, so they could drive to the mall together and do some shopping. Brittany smiled at the thought, and ran outside to meet the girl she loved.<p>

But, as she approached Santana's car, her smile dropped as she took in the sight that greeted her.

Santana was attempting to pull herself up off the floor, heaving and holding her stomach. Her face was scrunched up in pain, and she had scratches peppering her left cheek. She was sobbing quietly, whimpering every time her sore stomach came into contact with the car.

Brittany raced over to the struggling girl, yelling her name as she ran. Santana looked up, seeing Brittany, and broke down, collapsing into a heap. The blonde gathered the injured girl into her arms, tears streaming down her face. She sobbed into Santana's hair, and held the smaller girl until her sobs had subsided into small sniffles.

Brittany then gently helped Santana sit up, and examined her face properly. She had some bruising and cuts on her left cheek, from where Ryder had smacked her head on the ground, but apart from that her face wasn't too bad. Brittany then slowly lifted Santana's shirt, and gasped when she saw the damage inflicted on her stomach. Dark purple bruises were already beginning to form, and Santana shook each time she drew in a breath, as if each one was tearing a hole through her.

"San, what happened?" Brittany asked shakily, stroking the Latina's hair softly, cradling her in her arms.

Santana drew in a breath, relishing the sensation of oxygen gracing her bruised lungs, then spoke:

"It…it was Eric. Eric Ryder. He…he did this. Because of us. He said he didn't like us being together. He…he said it was disgusting. And sick."

She began to cry once more, so Brittany continued to comfort her until she calmed down. They were both in shock, so neither girl noticed Finn leaving school from football practice. He was trotting down the front steps when he spotted Brittany holding Santana. He realised that Santana was hurt, and ran over to them.

"Hey! Oh my god, what happened?"

His eyes widened as he took in the full extent of Santana's injuries. His eyes clouded with anger; she may have had her bitchy moments, but she was still his friend.

"Who did this to you Santana?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Santana shook her head, indicating that she didn't want to tell him. He exhaled with frustration, and turned to Brittany.

"Brittany, please. Tell me! WHO DID THIS TO SANTANA?"

His voice grew louder, his anger becoming apparent to both girls. Brittany looked at Santana, searching for her answer. Santana then nodded slightly, which Brittany took as her agreeing to tell Finn. She turned to the quarterback and said:

"Eric Ryder."

Finn's eyes narrowed; he turned abruptly and marched back into the school.

"Finn, wait! Where are you going?"

But Brittany's question fell on deaf ears, for he had already re-entered the school.

Brittany then gently helped Santana to her feet, opened the passenger door of Santana's car, and lifted her into the car seat. She then walked around to the driver's side, started the ignition, and drove to Santana's house, all the while holding her hand.

The Latina gave the blonde a small smile, trying to express how grateful she was to Brittany for taking care of her. Brittany seemed to understand, squeezing Santana's hand lightly in a reassuring way.

They reached Santana's house quickly. Brittany rushed over to the passenger side, afraid to leave Santana's side for even a second. She helped her limp to the front door, where she knocked loudly.

"My…my parents aren't home. They're away all week" Santana mumbled, while attempting to pull her keys out of her pocket.

"Let me." insisted Brittany.

Smiling slightly, she supported the Latina with one arm while reaching into her pocket and withdrawing the keys with the other. She opened the door and took Santana upstairs, placing her on her bed.

She then went to the kitchen and fetched a hot water bottle, which she placed on the violent bruises blooming on the brunette's stomach, dramatic purple daises spattering a field of tan wheat.

Brittany then lay down next to Santana, covering them both with the duvet. She gathered the shivering Latina into her arms and cuddled her close to her body.

"It's okay San. You can rest now." she whispered reassuringly.

Santana's eyelids began to droop, and she looked up at Brittany and spoke quietly:

"Thank you so much Britt. I love you."

Then she faded away into a dreamless sleep, with Brittany holding her tightly throughout the night.

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><p><strong>Sorry for the depressing-ness guys, I know I would hate it if this actually happened to Santana :( but, now that the horrible stuff is over, we can get on with the awesomeness. And believe me, the next chapter is pretty kick-ass ;D so, let your curiousity get the better of you, and go check it out when I upload it! -go on, you know you want to ;D -it will be uploaded soon btw, i'm writing this fanfic pretty fast due to the fact that i'm at college and I have like, a million free periods and no work to do :') so you awesome people won't have to wait too long to see what happens ^^<strong>

**Btw, I have to include this; one of my favourite scenes so far from series 3, from the episode Pot O' Gold:**

**Santana: Britt, I wanna talk about that thing that we never talk about.**

**Brittany: What, that Sour Patch Kids are just gummy bears that turned to drugs?**

**Santana: Are we dating? Or what?**

**Brittany: Wait, isn't this a date? Aren't you paying? 'Cause I ordered shrimp! Wasn't last week when we took a bath together, wasn't that a date?...Are you crying?**

**Santana: It's just that I'm really happy. **

**-AWWWWW! It made me melt with happiness ^^ and when Santana asked Britt to hold her hand... I ALMOST DIED. alright, maybe i'm exaggerating slightly. BUT IT WAS MEGACUTE. ^^**

**ANYHOO, enough Santittany ranting for now. Let me know what you guys thought of this latest chapter, reviews make me a very gleeful Steph! -see what I did there, huh? ;D (that was so lame xD)**


	4. Light At The End Of The Tunnel

**UH OH. so, as you can tell from that last chapter, Finn is pretty pissed about what happened to our lovely Santana. Read on to find out what happens next... ;D also, a quick thank you to everyone who has added this into their Story Alerts/Favourites, that makes me smile :D and an extra special thank you to those supermegafoxyawesomehot people who reviewed...YOU EACH GET A BARREL OF BREADSTICKS AS A REWARD! :D anyhoo, enough waffling. Onto the fic! ^^**

Finn burst into the locker room, red-faced and breathing heavily.

"Dude, what's up?" exclaimed Puck, staring at his friend in shock.

"Guys, listen up." said Finn.

His voice was firm with authority, so his teammates gathered around him, listening intently.

"We got a problem. Y'know that new guy, Ryder? He…" he took a breath to steady his voice, which was shaking with anger. "He beat up Santana after school today."

Puck then stood up with a sharp intake of breath, and the rest of the football players stared at Finn, their expressions infused with a mixture of shock and rage.

"What? What the hell! Why would he do that?"

Puck's fists clenched, rage coursing through his veins.

"I think it had something to do with Santana and Brittany coming out." explained Finn.

"So, what are we gonna do?" asked Mike.

"I say we go and kick this guy's ass!" yelled Puck, already in fighting mode.

"Yeah!" chorused the rest of the football players, who began rising from their seats on the benches.

"Hold up a minute guys!"shouted Finn, to Puck's dismay. "We need to come up with a plan…"

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><p>Eric Ryder strolled into school the next morning, a cocky leer lingering on his face. He looked proud of himself, as if he had accomplished something worth praising. He was so wrapped up in his filthy glory, he failed to realise that now, he was the one being watched. And the eyes watching him were as unfriendly as his own eyes when he had stared at Santana and Brittany the day before.<p>

He reached the boys locker room and began preparing for football practice. He had just pulled his football jersey over his head when he was suddenly surrounded. He was receiving hard glares from the group of football players who had encircled him, and among them were Finn, Puck and Mike.

He fixed a confident look on his face, turned to Finn, and said:

"What d'you think you're doing, lady-boy?"

He had taken to calling Finn names due to his inclusion in Glee club. This did not sit well with Finn, who bristled and had to stop himself from hitting Ryder right then and there.

"We know what you did to Santana." replied Finn, his voice laced with menace.

Ryder glanced around the group, seeming to realise the true seriousness of the situation. He cleared his throat and said, in a slightly less confident tone of voice than before:

"Yeah, well, she deserved it. What her and that blonde are doing, it's just wrong."

Puck raised his fist to punch Ryder, but was restrained by Mike, who muttered:

"Not yet, let Finn talk to him first."

Puck exhaled in irritation, flexing his muscles to show he meant business.

Finn was about to speak again, to try to reason with Eric, when the large boy began talking once again.

"I mean, girls are supposed to be with guys, that's the way things work. Anything else is disgusting and sick, in my opinion. And yeah, sure you can say all this 'people can't help who they fall in love with' crap, but we all know that's not true. Now, I don't now why those girls are fooling around with each other, or whatever they're doing, but I don't wait that shit shoved in my face every day. So, if I need to smack 'em around a bit to teach them a lesson, especially that Latina bitch, then I will. And anyone who tries to stop me, well, they won't be able to continue trying to stop me when I put them in the hospital."

This was what sent the other guys over the edge.

Puck attacked first, leaping at Eric and punching him square in the face. The other football players soon followed suit, raining down blows on every body part they could get their hands on. Finn was delivering repeated punches to Ryder's stomach, giving him a taste of his own medicine, while Mike and the other guys were kicking at his legs, until he was unable to stand anymore.

"WHAT THE HELL'S GOIN' ON IN HERE?" came a voice from behind them.

Most of the guys stopped what they were doing, but Finn and Puck were relentless, and didn't stop until they were physically pulled off Ryder. They turned to find Coach Beiste staring at them in shock.

"What's gotten in to you guys?" she asked in disbelief, looking down at the battered form of Ryder, who was curled up on the floor shielding his face in an attempt to protect himself.

"This guy's an ASSHOLE, that's what!" yelled Puck, anger evident on his handsome features.

"Finn, you wanna explain what happened?" asked Coach, turning to the captain of the team.

"Ryder beat up Santana yesterday."

Coach Beiste inhaled sharply, and turned to Eric.

"This true Eric?" she asked.

He nodded his head slowly.

"And why did you do that?" she said, her voice stern with authority.

"Because he's a homophobic dick, that's why!" shouted Puck, who had to be restrained by Mike net again as he attempted to attack Eric once more.

"Well, I think it's pretty clear what's going to happen here. Boys, go clean yourselves up and get ready for practice. Eric, you're coming with me to Principal Figgins. I think it's safe to say you won't be attending this school anymore after this kind of behaviour."

"Aw, come on Coach! That's totally unfair!" objected Ryder.

"I don't wanna hear it boy!" yelled Beiste, her features contorted with anger. "Bullying is taken very seriously at this school, and it isn't tolerated, especially when a student's health and wellbeing is at stake. So, I'm going to escort you to Figgins, where you will no doubt be expelled."

She then grabbed Ryder by the collar of his football jacket and proceeded to drag him out of the door.

A loud cheer then erupted from the boys left in the locker room, and a series of high fives were exchanged.

"Dude, that was awesome! We totally just ran him outta school!" cheered Puck, giving Finn a celebratory hug.

"Okay guys, I'll be back in a minute, just gotta send a quick text. Good job." said Finn, smiling slightly.

He walked into the corridor, flipped open his phone, and began to type:

'_Sorted everything with Ryder. He's been expelled. Tell S she doesn't need to worry anymore. –Finn.'_

He then found Brittany's name, pressed send, and then walked back into the locker room with a smile on his face.

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><p><strong>HOW BAD-ASS WAS THAT? I told you this chapter would make up for the sadness of the last one ^^ so yes, let me know what you guys and gals think of this - did you like Finn's adorable protectiveness? :D report back soon for the last chapter, won't be long until I finish it, i'm halfway through already :3 until then, keep re-watching the newest episode of Glee season 3 like I keep doing! ^^ stay awesome Gleekers!<strong>


	5. Smiles All Round

**LAST CHAPTER GUYS. Thank you to everyone who has read the previous chapters, or any of my others fanfics, it really means a lot, and it gives me the motivation to continue writing. So thank you ^^ ANYWAY. Enough of this soppy crap xD **

**Warning: this fic starts off very fluffy then gets a tad heated ;D enjoy! ^^**

Brittany had decided that Santana wasn't in the right physical or emotional state to go to school the next morning, on account of the injuries she sustained the day before. So, she awoke at 7:00 to the sound of Santana's alarm, turned it off quickly, and snuggled back into bed, holding the Latina close to her.

Santana moved a little in her sleep, nuzzling her face into Brittany's collarbone. The blonde smiled a little at this, and sunk back into a comfortable sleep for the next few hours.

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><p>Santana woke up to the sound of Brittany's phone bleeping, signalling the arrival of a text message. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, and glanced around, searching for the blonde. Her eyes found her, sitting upright, reaching for her phone.<p>

Santana couldn't help but smile, but her smile quickly faltered as she sat up, experiencing sharp pains shooting through her stomach.

It was only then that she remembered the events of the previous day. She gingerly lifted her top, and gasped at the state of her stomach.

Brittany noticed this, and leant forward and placed a gentle kiss on the bruised area. She then lay down, pulling Santana down to lie with her, cradling the fragile girl's face in her hand. She began gently stroking the cuts and bruises scattered across the Latina's cheek; they were like ashes escaping the cruel heat of a fire.

"How're you feeling honey?" she asked kindly, placing one hand under the brunette's chin and tilting her head up so their eyes could meet.

"Okay, I guess." came the reply. "My stomach fucking kills though."

She then remembered why she had woken up.

"Didn't you just get a text?" she mumbled sleepily.

"Oh yeah! I was just about to read it when you woke up." said Brittany.

She retrieved her phone and pressed Open Message:

'_Sorted everything with Ryder. He's been expelled. Tell S she doesn't need to worry anymore. –Finn.'_

"Who is it?" Santana asked curiously.

"It's Finn! He said they sorted out everything with Eric, and that he's been expelled!"

Brittany sat up and begun dancing happily, which prompted a giggle from Santana.

"See San, I told you everything would be okay."

Santana smiled slightly, and reached over to wrap her arms around Brittany.

"Thanks so much Britt." she whispered.

"For what?" asked the blonde, sounding slightly confused.

"For…being here for me when I needed you. For never leaving me. For…for being my soul mate."

Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke, and Brittany reached up a hand to wipe away the droplets, little pockets of moisture making their escape from the most beautiful hazel eyes.

"Well, like I've told you before, I'll always be here for you San. I'll never leave you, you know why? Because I love you. I love you so much, and I never want to be apart from you. And I swear, if anyone ever touches you again, I will find them and kill them."

The last sentence was punctuated with so much ferocity and anger, Santana sat up and looked at Brittany, mildly shocked. Brittany was normally the gentle one, so to see her so worked up was strange.

It was also kinda hot.

"Y'know what Britt? It's strange seeing you so worked up, but…I kinda like it." said Santana, in a low, sexy voice.

Brittany's eyes began to sparkle, and she leaned in to place a light kiss on the Latina's lips.

"Oh yeah?" she whispered mischievously.

She then began peppering Santana's jaw and collarbone with kisses, trailing a line from the top of Santana's bruised cheek all the way down to the scratches at the bottom. The brunette inhaled slightly at this and Brittany stopped, a look of worry on her face.

"Did I hurt you?" she asked anxiously.

"No babe. I…that just felt really good." replied Santana, with a glint in her eye.

"Okay, well then, let me make you feel even better." whispered the blonde.

Santana attempted to sit up, but Brittany pushed her back down on the bed, with a bit more force than was necessary. She liked being the dominant one for once.

"Nuh uh." She said simply. "You're hurt, so you lie still and I'll make you feel better."

Santana struggled slightly, but then soon gave up when she realised she was fighting a losing battle.

She lay back in defeat, but couldn't help but smile when Brittany's lips once again found hers. The blonde's hands then began travelling down the Latina's body, which was still clad in her Cheerio's uniform. Warm hands found their way under the tight top, leaving a trail of electricity on every area they touched.

Santana gasped in surprise and pleasure, as her own hands snaked around Brittany's body and found their way to the blonde's firm butt.

"Oh San." murmured Brittany, smiling as her own touch made the Latina whimper in pleasure.

This went on for a while, until Brittany couldn't stand the friction of their clothes anymore.

"Top. Off. Now." she demanded, in a tone that shocked even herself.

But Santana complied, putting her arms above her head and arching her back so Brittany could pull off her top. Brittany glanced in appreciation at the set of rambunctious twins that resided on Santana's ribcage, and then resumed her sweet lady kisses, moving from the Latina's collarbone down to her toned stomach. Brittany winced a little as she caught sight of the bruises on her girlfriend's stomach that, although they were beginning to heal, still looked sore.

She continued gently, stroking the soft skin around the bruises, appreciating the untainted velvet softness, surrounding the shocking explosion of purple. Santana then pulled Brittany's face up to meet hers, and gave her a kiss that seemed to convey all she was feeling in that moment; love, hope, pain, relief.

Brittany then lay back down, pulling Santana close to her once again.

"Feel better?" she asked, the hint of a smile haunting her full pink lips.

"Much." replied the Latina with a contented sigh.

They lay like this for a while, just enjoying holding each other, when they felt the bed shift beneath them unexpectedly.

Brittany opened her eyes and glanced around, then suddenly let out a small shriek of happiness.

"San, look, Lord Tubbington's come to see how you are!"

Normally Santana couldn't stand the outrageously obese cat, due to the fact that he had a habit of sitting on her, but she couldn't deny that Brittany looked adorable when she had that excited look on her face whenever she saw him. So she just smiled a little, and then gestured for Brittany to lie back down next to her once again.

They linked hands, facing each other, and exchanged a series of light, loving kisses.

Lord Tubbington then decided to get in on the action, so jumped between the two girls and snuggled his face into Brittany's stomach. This made the blonde girl laugh, which in turn caused Santana to smile at her girlfriend lovingly.

They kissed once more, a lingering, gentle kiss; then both girls and cat felt themselves escaping into the magical realm of dreams, where anything was possible. But, lying right there, with the girl of her dreams lying with her, Santana already felt like anything was possible.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you Gleeks think? Did you like this fic? Could it have been better? Let me know, any feedback is appreciated ^^ <strong>

**Right, mini-rant time: WE NEED A SANTITTANY KISS IN AN UPCOMING EPISODE, HOPEFULLY *spoiler alert* IN THE EPISODE NAMED 'I KISSED A GIRL'! ALL THE OTHER COUPLES HAVE HAD PLENTY OF KISSES, SO I WANTS SOME SWEET LADY KISSES, AND I WANTS 'EM NOW! **

**-Oh yes, that is the name of episode 7 :D I can't wait, i'm hoping it's all about San and Britt Britt and their blossoming relationship ^^ anyhoo, that's enough of that. I don't know when exactly i'll write my next fic, but it'll probably be sometime soon. Until then, stay awesome Santittany shippers! ^^**


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